A chemical amplification resist composition is a pattern forming material of forming a pattern on a substrate by producing an acid in the exposed area upon irradiation with radiation such as far ultraviolet light and through a reaction using the acid as a catalyst, changing the developer solubility of the area irradiated with an actinic ray or radiation and that of the non-irradiated area.
In JP-A-2003-327560, JP-A-2004-310121, JP-A-2006-343704, JP-A-10-120628 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”), studies are made to apply a compound having an anthracene structure to the resist so as to improve the performance of the chemical amplification resist composition. The application of a compound having an anthracene structure is studied from the aspect of: reducing the change in the line width of a pattern in JP-A-2003-327560; enabling use of a substrate with high reflectance and enhancing the storage stability (good sensitivity even after aging) in JP-A-2004-310121; suppressing the change in the line width of a resist pattern due to thickness variation of a resist film on a highly reflective substrate and enhancing the latitude in the depth of focus in JP-A-2006-343704; and enabling suppression of standing wave and halation in using a highly reflective substrate in JP-A-10-120628.
In JP-A-2004-334165, it is disclosed to add a compound having specific light absorption so as to suppress standing wave when a highly reflective substrate is applied.
However, conventional chemical amplification resist compositions cannot succeed in improving the line edge roughness and development defect while at the same time, improving the sensitivity, dissolution contrast (γ) and pattern profile and reducing the standing wave.